Author: chicagoinquirer

by James Robson MANCHESTER, England — Manchester United climbed up to third place in the Premier League with a 2-1 win against Crystal Palace on Sunday. Benjamin Sesko’s seventh goal in eight games sealed the win at Old Trafford that moved United above Aston Villa on goal difference. “It feels like a big result,” said United captain Bruno Fernandes, who scored from the penalty spot. At the other end of the standings, Tottenham’s winless run extended to 10 games after a 2-1 loss at Fulham — leaving it mired in a fight to avoid relegation. Nottingham Forest also failed to…

by Moshe Edri A deadly Iranian missile attack has caused a wide swath of damage spreading over several blocks in the central Israeli city of Beit Shemesh. The missile slammed into a synagogue where residents were taking shelter Sunday, killing at least nine people. Mayor Shmuel Greenberg says the synagogue was “very old,” dating back to the city’s establishment as a small development town over 70 years ago. “The synagogue building disappeared and was erased as if it wasn’t there,” he said. B-2 stealth bombers strike Iran’s ballistic missile facilities, US military says by Ben Finley and Courtney Bonnell B-2…

by Jon Gambrell DUBAI, United Arab Emirates  — The death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after almost 37 years in power raises paramount questions about the country’s future. The contours of a complex succession process began to take shape the morning after Khamenei’s assassination. Here is what to know: A temporary leadership council assumes duties As outlined in its constitution, Iran on Sunday formed a council to assume leadership duties and govern the country. The council is made up of Iran’s sitting president, the head of the country’s judiciary and a member of the Guardian Council chosen by…

by Jonathan Landrum Jr. LOS ANGELES  — Viola Davis delivered a powerful speech about self-worth, resilience and collective progress on the 57th NAACP Image Awards stage Saturday night, telling the audience that personal and national growth require confronting truth and hardship. “There is no becoming without healing and without a radical acceptance of one’s truth,” Davis said after receiving the NAACP’s Chairman’s Award at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium near Los Angeles. “We either move forward together or not at all.” The Oscar, Emmy, Tony and Grammy winner reflected on her journey from childhood poverty in Rhode Island to international success,…

by Jon Gambrell, Melanie Lidman, Josh Boak and Eric Tucker DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameneiwas killed in a major attack by Israel and the United States, Iranian state media confirmed early Sunday, throwing the future of the Islamic Republic into doubt and raising the risk of regional instability. President Donald Trump announced the death hours earlier, saying it gave Iranians their “greatest chance” to “take back” their country. State media reported that the 86-year-old was killed in an airstrike targeting his compound in downtown Tehran. Satellite photos from Airbus showed that the site was…

by Lisa Mascaro WASHINGTON  — Key members of Congress are demanding a swift vote on a war powers resolution that would restrain President Donald Trump’s military attack on Iranunless the administration wins their approval for what they warn is a potentially illegal campaign that risks pulling the United States into a deeper Middle East conflict. Both the House and Senate, where the president’s Republican Party has a slim majority, had already drafted such resolutions long before the strikes Saturday. Now they are ready to plunge into a rare war powers debate next week that will serve as a referendum on…

by Jon Gambrell, Konstantin Torpid, Josh Boak and Aamer Madhani DUBAI, United Arab Emirates  — Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a major attack on Iran launched by Israel and the United States, Israeli officials told The Associated Press on Saturday. There was no immediate comment from the U.S. or Iran on his status. The assassination of the second leader of the Islamic Republic, who had no designated successor, would throw its future into doubt and raise the prospect of a protracted conflict given Iranian threats of retaliation. In a nationally televised address, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu…

by Joey Cappelletti LEESBURG, Va. — Gathered at a resort in suburban Virginia, House Democrats this week were acting like a party on the verge of reclaiming power as they drafted policy blueprints and spoke confidently about election victories in November. “We’re here at this issues conference to talk amongst each other and with outside stakeholders and experts about a bold, meaningful, transformational path forward,” said House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York. After a punishing 2024 cycle, many Democrats believe the high cost of living as well as voter frustration with President Donald Trump’s second term have put…

by Meg Kinnard WASHINGTON  — A crowd gathered at a commuter gate at Reagan National Airport on Friday as fog-laden Washington skies caused an hourlong ground stop that backed up passengers hoping to head out from American Airlines’ Terminal D. But soon the already densely packed area swelled even more, as word spread across nearby gates that, of the hundreds of air travelers coming and going, only one among them was accompanied by a U.S. Secret Service detail, along with uniformed local police officers: former President Joe Biden. Biden, who has rarely made public appearances since leaving office last year,…

by Stephen Groves WASHINGTON  — Former President Bill Clinton told members of Congress on Friday that he “did nothing wrong” in his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and saw no signs of Epstein’s sexual abuse as he faced hours of grilling from lawmakers over his connections to the disgraced financier from more than two decades ago. “I saw nothing, and I did nothing wrong,” the former Democratic president said in an opening statement he shared on social media. The closed-door deposition ended after more than six hours of questioning from lawmakers who said he answered every question posed to him. The…